I like these crampons so much that I am willing to post a somewhat embarrassing photo of myself scampering up a section of steep terrain, butt in the air. I'm not sure what I would have done without them on the hike in which this photo was taken. There was a layer of powder covering a thick sheet of ice, and as you can see, the terrain was pretty steep in terms of hiking trails.

The crampons were lightweight and easy to put on. My feet gripped without any trouble, allowing me to enjoy a potentially frustrating and somewhat treacherous hike. Although there was a layer of snow over the ice, I had no difficulty with snow packing in around the crampons because of the anti-snowballing design. The only challenge I had was occasionally catching the toe spike, but I'm sure this was operator error and will resolve as I adjust to having them on my feet.

Full disclosure, this was my first experience with the Hillsound Trail Crampon. In my enthusiasm to get moving, I neglected to fit them as precisely to my boots as I should have. As a result, I noticed that on this hike they were a bit too long for my boot, requiring me to tighten them down more than I should have. Over time, this resulted in extra pressure on my foot. I am guessing that this would not have been an issue if I had fitted them properly. As soon as I got them home I fitted them over my boot more precisely, but have had no opportunity to test them, as we have had a lot of snow since then and no need for crampons. I mention this to caution anyone from making the same mistake as me.

It would be nice to have had a bag included to protect other gear when stored in a pack. My husband owns a previous model and his came with a storage bag, so he was surprised when one was not included. This may sound petty, but it could make a big difference if you were to tear a hole through a valuable layer while out on the trail.

Overall, this has been a valuable purchase that has already saved the day on one outdoor excursion for me.

I tested the Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro on a small…

I tested the Hillsound Trail Crampon Pro on a small icy mountain in the Adirondack Mountains. They packed well and are very compact not taking up too much space.

The rachet system on the binding makes it easy and fast to take on and off — very important in cold conditions. With a few 'clicks' the binding was nice and snug against my boot and stayed that way for the whole time. It was nice not to have long straps to wrap around your ankle, etc.

The teeth on the crampon are shorter than I am used to, a feature that I like as you don't feel like you are walking on high heels and I feel less likely to turn an ankle. The grip on the ice was fantastic.

I also have a pair of Microspikes that I usually take along on a hike, but now feel that I will carry only the crampons as they feel almost like the Microspikes but with much more grip. This would lighten up my pack and eliminate time switching back and forth.

These are not to be mistaken for technical climbing crampons, but these will be perfect for icy trails and those sketchy spots where you need to pull yourself up over an icy ledge.